Beer is one of the oldest prepared beverages in the world. In most societies, beer is the most popular alcoholic beverage. Various social traditions and activities are associated with beer drinking, such as playing cards, darts, or other pub games; attending beer festivals; visiting a series of pubs in one evening; joining an organization such as CAMRA; visiting breweries; beer-oriented tourism; or rating beer. Drinking games, such as beer pong, are also popular. A relatively new profession is that of the beer sommelier, who informs restaurant patrons about beers and food pairings.
To the average beer drinker, beer is a commodity picked up at the grocery store or ordered at a restaurant or pub. The average beer drinker doesn't concern themselves with the origin of their favorite beer. However, those in the commercial beer industry understand that the origin of a beer is important not only for the qualities of the beer, i.e. color and flavor, but also for the type of dispenser in which the beer is packaged.
Since beer is consumed globally it may not be surprising that beer is imported and exported throughout the world. And despite draught beer from a pressurized keg being the most common method of dispensing in bars around the world, keg valves and taps are not universal around the world, There are six types of valves used in kegs worldwide, generally corresponding to the region where the beer is brewed. Keg valve systems include: A System; D System; G System; M System; S System; and U System. Each valve system requires a specific coupler to tap the keg. Apart from the various couplers used to tap kegs, also required for dispensing are an air or compressed gas line and a beer line from the coupler.
Prior art keg couplers are of a standardized design on their bottom surface so that when connecting a full keg the coupler can be mounted onto a complimentary and also standardized fitting of the keg, and subsequently removed from the fitting upon disconnection of the keg. The actual contact surface of the keg coupler is a radial bearing surface which is mounted onto a corresponding mating surface of the keg fitting, so that the beverage conduit is connected to the riser pipe of the keg.
In use, the coupler is fixed on the keg fitting using a bayonet-like arrangement which itself is made up a cylindrical internal peripheral surface, a lower radial surface, and segmented peripheral surfaces that protrudes inward about the circumference. To connect the keg and the coupler, the segments are inserted from above into corresponding recesses of the keg fitting. The keg coupler is then typically turned about a common axis of keg coupler and a keg fitting, so that the segments then extend under corresponding mating segments of the keg fitting and are wedged into place. A lever on the coupler is then pivoted to establish the connection between a riser pipe of the keg and the beverage conduit leading to a taproom. This pivoting also opens the gas conduit so that the carrier gas can flow into the keg.
In light of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide the desired features described herein as well as additional advantages of providing a means for eliminating keg valve coupler system incompatibility and enabling bars and restaurants to quickly and easily transfer kegs regardless of the keg valve style.